Snapshot: Owners Heath and Paris Thomas opened up JW’s Bracken Saloon in 2012, building the space from the ground up. It’s an airy, spacious joint that provides a legit country feel just a few minutes outside Loop 1604 on the Northeast Side, just across the Comal County line.

Heath, a retired Army veteran and a proud outdoorsman, adorned the interior walls with the mounted heads of his many hunting conquests. The story surrounding the African buffalo must be a doozy.

Don’t let the adjacent gun and tattoo shops fool you into thinking JW’s is a rough-and-tumble establishment. The staff is lively and charismatic, with servers who will chat you up and load you up with another beer before you know you need one. And the outdoor patio area is one of the nicest you will find.

Who goes there: A melting pot of blue collars, white collars, bikers and locals scattered throughout the Spring Branch, Bulverde and Garden Ridge area who consider JW’s the closest watering hole from their home address.

Behind the bar: JW’s might be the only joint in the San Antonio area to have a booze clearance rack: All of the liquor that has worn out its welcome sells for $2 all day, every day. Six types of beer are on the tap line, and the saloon stocks about 25 types of beer in bottles. Things get crazy on Tuesdays, when everything sells for $2.

Munchies: Food trucks will make an occasional appearance in the parking lot (Llalla’s Empanadas is there every Thursday), and the bar staff will cook you a pizza for $7 anytime. Free food is occasionally brought in for big events.

Soundtrack: The bar staff will make the rounds for $1 donations to reload the online sound system when it goes dry. Don’t let ’em down. Live music, which can range from Hill Country pickers to classic rock, takes to the indoor stage every Thursday night around 7:30. Friday karaoke traditionally draws a robust crowd.

Fun and games: In addition to a single pool table and an electronic dart board, there is treasure in the corner for pinball fanatics. The World Series baseball game is a true throwback to the 1960s.

The Skinny: JW’s is a neighborhood bar with a random pulse — no two trips are likely to be the same. And if you really fall in love with the bar, the Thomases are willing to sell it to you so they can fully retire.